Employees Fed Up With Work Requests on Vacation

OK, so your IT members may say "Sure!" if you ask for something from them while they're on vacation. They may even sound chipper on the phone when you apologize for making such a request. But that doesn't mean they're happy about it. And this could drive them toward unproductive levels of disengagement or, worse yet, send them searching for a new job. These reactions are among the impressions cast by a recent survey released by TeamViewer as conducted by Harris Interactive. Yes, more professionals than ever are working while on their summer break. But they're growing more resentful about this reality, and are willing to take steps to establish a sense of personal boundaries. This means it's important to respect your IT department's right to enjoy their time away from the office. Here are a couple of suggestions: If something needs doing, seek out another available staffer who can possibly perform the same task. If not, determine if the request is absolutely critical and can't possibly wait. If there really isn't any urgency, don't send an e-mail until the employee returns. More than 2,000 American employees took part in the research. For more about the survey, click here.

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File Sharing 32% will seek work-related access to a document on a work or home computer while on vacation.